Monday, July 26, 2004

Pottery and the Olympics- The Greek Olympics occured about 3000 years ago ... and pottery was there! Pottery was used to commemorate, and perhaps report, the goings on of the original Olympics.  Not only winners, but it appears also cheaters were addressed on the sides of pots. Greek art adds rich visual details to the historical record, with paintings on vases, urns and other fine pottery the most important source. They depict disfigured boxers with bloody noses and sprinters thundering down the track, elbows flying. Judges flogged the athletes for transgressions ranging from false starts on the track to eye gouging in the ring. Ancient Olympians: not exactly heroes I  wonder what sort of aesthetic experience those Greeks would have had gazing on such 'negative' pieces.  Would they have been similar to a tabloid, or "hate" radio, or something more akin to typical news reporting? Vase at 11:00. 7:09:29 AM